Tick Tock
by Ava Brett
Summary: Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking... can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can (Destiel, possible Sam/OFC and plenty of brotherly moments)
1. Interlude one - Where am I?

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**So here's chapter one of Tick Tock reedited and repolished so it can be the best it can be. If you read my other work then you know I've been making my way through all the other stories I've written giving them the same treatment. Its time consuming and tiring but I feel that its worth it. I'm like a hundred times happier with what I've done!**

**So yep, I'm hoping to get most of this done and dusted today but we shall see. Real life will be rearing its ugly head in about four hours not to mention the fact I'm watching Castle Season one as well!**

**Still enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Where was he? Who had him? Where was Sam?**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**I don't think Dean is thinking about romance right about now…**

* * *

Interlude one

Where am I?

* * *

The first thing which struck Dean Winchester when he came to on a hard concrete floor was how cold and dark it was.

The darkness was thick and heavy, almost with an oppressive quality to it which pressed in on him from all sides until he felt smothered by it. He lay on the hard surface, staring up with eyes that could see nothing, his breathing coming out slow and steady from his mouth as he tried to make his breathing pattern mimic someone sleeping. His head throbbed when he attempted to move, the pain causing nausea to rise up his throat making him flip onto his front in case he chocked on his own vomit.

He reached up slowly, touching the back of his head gently before bringing his hand back in front of him, he couldn't see but he could feel the wetness on the fingertips indicating that his head wound was serious enough that it was still oozing blood which probably meant that he needed some sort of medical attention or a trip to the local hospital. Clearly that wasn't about to happen anytime soon.

He tried desperate to remember how he had ended up in the darkness but everything remained blank in his mind. He had some vague memory of going to get food for him and Sam because they had been researching something and it had been past lunch but after that things disappeared into a black hole in his mind. He must have been ambushed by someone but who? Whoever they were they must have been either Supernatural or a human with some incredible skills to take him down, because even distracted Dean was a formidable foe. Had there been more then one of them? Had they jumped him? Had they drugged him?

God he wished he could remember.

He breathed out deeply, resting his palms against the floor as he forced him self into a seated position ignoring the sharp agony the simple movement produced in his body. He looked down at his arm automatically, ignoring the fact that he couldn't see it. A slight touch indicated that his lower arm was broken, possible in more then one place which pointed to the fact that whoever did this had taken a great amount of pleasure in making sure that Dean wouldn't be able to fight back.

He moved his eyes around desperately trying to see anything which would give him some indication of what was going on but there was nothing but the darkness. Dean felt almost bad about mocking his brother when they had been younger about being afraid of the dark, suddenly the fear made sense to him.

If only his head wasn't threatening to split open then he might have been able to gather some clues together or at least be able to collect his woolly thoughts. What the hell did the person hit him with to cause this amount of damage to Dean's head? A baseball bat made out of diamond or something equally as hard?

Dean took another deep breathe, the sound loud in the otherwise silent room before he braced him self and forced him self to get to his feet, his arms flung out to either side of him in an attempt to balance his body and to stop him falling flat on his face again. Swallowing deeply Dean moved forward cautiously, his good arm stretched out in front of him while he awkwardly cradled the broken on close to his body.

He had only moved forward about ten steps before his hand smacked against a wall. It was completely smooth and cold beneath his finger tips. He frowned, dragging his hand down to see whether there was any change to it but there wasn't. The wall must have been made out of metal; anything else would have had some change in the constituency of the wall.

Turning his body to the left Dean walked forward counting another ten steps before his hand made contact again with another wall which felt exactly the same as the previous one. He did the same thing until he had completed a circle coming to one conclusion.

He was in a metal room of some kind, a small one which might have been built with him in mind. He calculated that there was just about enough space for him lay down on the floor if he became tired. The room appeared to be empty of everything bar him which might have indicated that it was a temporary storage unit for him and he was in fact travelling somewhere, somewhere where whoever it was planning to keep him. He certainly hadn't made contact with anything other then the walls.

Why was he here?

Who had managed to capture him?

Where was Sam?

Dean groaned as his back hit the wall, his shaky legs giving out on him until he was flat on his ass on the floor, legs spread out in front of him as he closed his eyes, a sickening feeling growing in his stomach as he cradled his broken arm with his good one.

Somehow he didn't think he wanted to know the answer.

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Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	2. Discovery

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's chapter two.**

**I find writing this story is a good way of channelling all the bad stuff in my life at the moment. It makes me so thankful to have this outlet for my emotions or I think I would actually just lose my mind!**

**Anyway enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Sam makes a discovery…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**None yet but it's slowly coming…**

* * *

Chapter One

Discovery

* * *

Sam blamed himself.

How the hell could he not have noticed?

Hours must have passed since Dean had closed the old book he had been reading with a slam and informed Sam that he was going to head into the town to get them some much needed food so they could eat before they passed out through hunger. Sam had muttered a reply, ignoring his brother the same way he often ignored Dean when he was reading and that had been the last he had thought about it until now. When his stomach had rumbled so loudly that it had dragged him away from studying to realise that not only was he starving but that Dean hadn't arrived back at the motel room yet.

He could easily have blamed it on being tired or he could place the blame on the fact that he was researching like mad trying to stop another person from being killed but what it came down to was simple.

Dean had been missing for hours and Sam had failed to notice that he was even gone.

The thought made Sam feel sick inside. Dean would have noticed almost straight away if it had been the other way round.

Running his hand through his hair, Sam tired desperately to ignore the feeling of dread that was settling in the pit of his stomach. There had to be an explanation as to where Dean was, there always was. All Sam had to do was remain calm and figure out what it was.

Perhaps Dean had met a girl on his way back to the room and he had decided that since Sam was so wrapped up in research he would take the opportunity to let off a little steam and to get laid. It wouldn't have been the first time that Dean had done that. Sam didn't mind, at least it meant that Dean would be in a good mood for the next few days which was never a bad thing.

Sam got to his feet and strolled across the room to where his mobile was left on the bedside table charging. He unplugged it, swiping his hand across the screen and frowning when he realised that he had no miscalls or messages from anyone. Normally if Dean had struck it lucky then he would send Sam a gloating message letting him know where he was and not to wait up for him. Dean would never simply disappear for hours on end without informing Sam on where he was going.

He sighed, biting down on his lower lip before he went into his contacts and scrolled through then until he reached his brother's number. He stared at it for a moment before he hit the connect button and brought the phone to his ear, waiting impatiently for Dean to pick up. He began pacing restlessly when the phone continued to ring before it suddenly went through to Dean's voice mail telling him to leave him a message. Sam waited until he heard the beep before he spoke.

"So yeah it's me just checking in. You left hours ago to get food and you haven't been back and I'm starving. Is everything ok Dean? Call me as soon as you get this message. I mean it, a phone call not a text" he threatened before he disconnected the call and lowered him self onto the bed he had claimed as his own when they had first arrived. He sighed again, staring at his blank phone as he silently willed it to ring. It remained silent.

He tried to think about the situation logically the same as he would do with any case but it was impossible. All he could focus on was the thought in his head that something was seriously wrong that Dean, wherever he was, needed him badly.

Shaking his head he dialled Dean's number again, this time not leaving a message when the option was given to him.

There was no way in hell that Dean would ignore two calls from Sam, one maybe but never two and never when they were made so close together. Dean would assume that something was wrong and that Sam needed him and he would stop whatever he was doing to answer him and make sure that he was okay. For Dean not to answer would mean two things, either Dean had somehow lost the phone or he couldn't physically answer it because he was unconscious or too injured to pick it up.

Dean left at two and it was now nearly eight at night.

Sam wasn't going to wait around anymore.

He surged to his feet, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair and forced his arms through the sleeves, his eyes looking around him to see what he needed. He packed his favourite gun and knife making sure that he hid them both from plain sight and grabbed the key to the room before he was out of the door, adrenaline pumping through his body making him forget in an instance about how hungry and tired he was. All that mattered was finding Dean.

The main town was about a fifteen minute walk away from the motel, a glance towards the place where Dean had parked the impala earlier confirmed that he has taken it with him when he left. Dean would never leave his baby behind which meant that Dean hadn't returned to their hotel.

Without realising it Sam began picking up his pace until he abandoned the pretence of walking to run instead, arms pumping at his side as he focused on finding his brother's car. Wherever the impala was, Dean should be close to it. At least Sam was hoping that was the case.

It didn't take Sam long to find it, parked just down the street from the diner they had ate their breakfast at that morning. He glanced through the window as he passed but there was no sign of Dean in there at all.. Sam came to a stop by the car, reaching out and running his hand over the roof before he reached down and tried the driver's door.

It was locked.

Sam walked round the back stopping as he saw two large pizza boxes and some bottles of beers lying abandoned at the back of the car. He stopped and stared at them for a moment before he swallowed, reaching down and ripping the receipt off the top.

Two large meat feast pizzas for E. Winston

Winston had been the surname they had given the witnesses during the hunt they were currently on which meant that the pizza on the road was Dean's.

Sam breathed in sharply, his heart pounding against his rib cage as though it was trying to break through as he continued to kneel on the floor and stare down at them as though they could somehow provide him answers as to where Dean was. A suddenly glint to the side of him caught his eyes and he turned towards it, realising with a frown that it was coming from beneath the car. He reached under, moving his hand about until he placed it over something cold and sharp. He pulled it out and glanced down at it, his eyes widening when he realised he held Dean's set of keys for the impala.

He stared at them before he forced him self back to his feet and headed towards the front of the car, his eyes searching around him to see whether there was any clue as to what happened here.

A piece of folded paper with his name on it had been stuffed under the window wiper.

Reaching out Sam picked it up and slowly unfolded it, his eyes widening as he read the words.

**Sam,**

**If you're reading this note then you've finally realised that your brother is missing and have come looking for him, Shame on you though for taking so long to realise that he was gone. Dean would have known straight away if it had been the other way around but then again we both know that Dean has always been the better brother hasn't he?**

**I was quite impressed by how big a fight he put up against me, even with all the drugs I injected into him I wasn't sure if it was going to be enough. I might have dosed him a bit too high but I couldn't risk him getting away from me could I? You know, no one even noticed anything was going on. Isn't it simply amazing how humans just don't see anything which is happening in front of them? All of this could have been avoided if just one of them had reacted and come to Dean assistance or perhaps if you had noticed earlier that your brother was gone. Who knows what clues have been blown away or destroyed while you sat around reading?**

**I pity your brother. He tries so hard with you every day and yet it is never good enough for you is it. There's always something he's done wrong which you have to comment about. It's like all the good stuff is just forgotten.**

**I guess some people are just impossible to please.**

**So this is what we're going to do Sam Winchester.**

**We're going to play a little game with each other.**

**A simple game at that, I will send individuals to you with a note telling you what to do. You follow those instructions and your reward will be Dean. I shall tell you where I have stashed him and your beloved big brother will be returned to you. Injured perhaps but alive and that is after all, all that matters isn't it?**

**If you fail in following the instructions I have set then I shall personally kill Dean and send you his corpse and that's something I don't particularly want to do Sam because I'm strangely fond of your brother. I find him intriguing.**

**In case you haven't realised yet I've been watching the pair of your for a while and yet neither of you had any idea that all this time you were being followed. Whatever would your Daddy say if he knew?**

**You can call in your feathery friend to assist you, in fact I insist on it. I would quite like to see what his reaction is to all of this. I know how… precious… Dean is to him.**

**The first instruction will be delivered to you on Main Street, make sure you're outside the diner at nine AM tomorrow morning.**

**That's where the game begins you see Sam and that's when the countdown on Dean's life begins.**

**So you see Sam I am generous, At least I'm giving you the chance to win Dean back instead of killing him straight away.**

**I'm sure if anyone can do this then it's you but just remember one slip up and your big brother is gone from this world forever and this time no one will be there to bring him back.**

**Tick Tock Sam, your time is running out **

Sam crumpled the letter up in his hand, his breathing erratic as he stared unseeingly into the distance.

What the hell was happening?

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading **


	3. Time for backup

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**I do enjoy writing a BAMF Cas! There's just something so satisfying about it especially when it involves him protecting Dean. It's just hot, hot, and hot!**

**Anyway enjoy the chapter **

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Sam calls in the BAMF back up… and its safe to say he is pissed… **

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**Hints of Castiel/Dean**

* * *

Chapter Two

Time to call in the backup

* * *

Sam paced the motel floor, eyes wide as his mind tried desperate to absorb what had happened.

Dean was gone and probably injured if the note he received was anything to go by. He had been taken by someone who was clearly mentally unbalanced and all because he wanted Sam to participate in some strange game he had concocted. A game which Sam knew could end up with Dean being murdered if he didn't do exactly what was asked of him. For all he knew the task which he was going to be set could be impossible to accomplish and then what would he do? He couldn't allow Dean to die, he just couldn't.

Sam forced him self to breathe slowly and steadily, trying to ignore his swirling thoughts and the erratic beat of his heart. Dissolving into a panic attack wouldn't so anyone any good, especially not Dean who would need him to be at his best.

He needed to figure out what clues if any had been left for him and try and figure out if there was something in it which would lead him to his brother. He tried to push away the knowledge that it had always been Dean who had been the one who was able to look at something once and find patterns and clues that others had missed. Sam was better at the practical side of researching. Give him something which could be traced on the internet and in a book and he would have it within seconds. Things like this though were a great deal more difficult to wrap his head around.

He stopped pacing, looking down at the piece of paper he had been clutching at all this time before he threw it on his bed, running a hand through his hair as he took a deep shuddering breathe. He could do this. He had to do this for Dean.

The note had told him to involve Castiel in the game and so that was what Sam would do, for all he knew the Angel was an essential part of the game. Sam couldn't afford not to call him, in case he ended up offending the guy who held Dean captive, he had to play by the rules so the guy didn't murder his brother.

Sam lowered him self down onto the mattress and turned his gaze towards the ceiling as he began to speak.

"Cas its Sam, can you come down here? We need to talk" he bit down on his lower lip, looking around him as he waited for the dark haired angel to appear, the room however remained stubbornly empty. Sam frowned, a flicker of anger growing in the pit of his stomach as he tried contacting Castiel again. "Cas come on, now isn't the time for you to pull your non showing act. Dean is in seriously trouble. He needs you."

Sam should have realised before he had even began speaking that saying Dean's name was the key when it came to calling Castiel down from heaven The minute he mentioned Dean was in trouble the Angel was in front of him. Bright blue eyes fixed on him with a fierce expression before he looked around the room, his eyes lingering on Dean's empty bed.

"Where is Dean Sam? What has happened?" The angel demanded, his eyes coming back to Sam's.

"He's in serious trouble; some nut case has taken him Castiel"

The flare of rage in Castiel's eyes made Sam shift back slightly, wetting his lips nervously. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that Castiel was a warrior of God who could smite both him and Dean without even breaking a sweat if he chose to. Hell if Castiel chose to he could probably flatten the town they were currently in with a flick of his wrist.

"Taken him where exactly?" Castiel demanded his voice ice cold sending shards of fear down Sam's spine. He had known from the first time he had met the Angel that he was protective of his brother but Sam had never quite realised just how deeply it ran before. Castiel looked as though he would kill every person who stood between him and Dean without feeling any remorse about it.

"If I knew that then do you think I'd still be sitting here in out motel room?" Sam stated angrily. "I've no idea where the man is holding Dean" he glanced away from Castiel, twisting on the bed so he could pick up the letter, handing it over to Castiel, who took it from him with a slight frown as he began reading it. Sam watched Castiel's free hand curl into a fist as he read, a hiss of anger escaping him before his eyes shot up to impale Sam's.

"Where did you find this letter Sam?" Castiel asked.

"Beneath the window wiper on the impala, Dean had gone out to get us food and had parked it at the bottom of Duncan Street, just-"he stopped as he found him self sitting alone in the room once again. Shaking his head he slouched forward, resting his elbows against his thighs, cradling his face in his hands and he wondered not for the first time what Dean would be doing if he was in Sam's position.

One thing he was sure of was the fact that Dean wouldn't be sitting in the motel room. He would be out on the streets physically searching for Sam and calling in every favour he had gained over the years. Hell Dean would even approach the local police department if it meant finding Sam regardless of the fact that they might recognise him from the wanting pictures which had been circulated a year ago. Dean wouldn't have cared though, his only concern would have been Sam and he would have stopped at nothing to bring him back home safe.

Sam forced him self to his feet and yanked his jacket on. He could take the impala and begin searching the street and abandoned warehouses which he had noticed in the downtown part of town. The man who was doing this would surely have to remain close by to give Sam his clues. He would probably still be watching Sam, wanting to know how he was dealing with what was happening.

Sam blinked when Castiel suddenly appeared beside him, holding Dean's light green jacket in his hands. A jacket which was reddened by a blood stain which Sam knew hadn't been there earlier on.

"Where the hell did you find that?" he demanded, taking a step forward and snatching it from Castiel. His eyes fixed on the blood; it had definitely been the one which Dean had pulled on before he had left the room.

"I found it stuffed behind a dumpster in an alley way off Duncan Street" Castiel answered.

"Was there anything else there? Did you see anything?" Sam demanded.

Castiel shook his head, his eyes darkening as he shifted on the spot.

"This was the only thing I discovered at the scene Sam. I cannot find Dean because of the marks I placed on both your ribs to keep you safe from detection from the other Angels" he said quietly, a trace of pain coming to the Angel's eyes before it disappeared leaving the familiar blankness which Sam was used to seeing. Castiel was clearly blaming himself for not being able to locate Dean.

"Hey, don't blame yourself for this, the marks have kept us safe several times before, you had no way of knowing that something like this would happen" he said before he reached up and rubbed his forehead, ignoring the throbbing pain. "We will just have to play the guy's game. Do what he instructs and hope against hope that he messes up somehow. The minute he does we'll have him and we'll have Dean back."

"I shall continue to search for Dean while you rest" Castiel said after a pause, disappearing from the room before Sam could answer him.

He looked around him before he grabbed the impala key from the desk and left the room.

There was no way he was going to stay behind, not when Dean needed him.

He would find his big brother even if it killed him.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	4. Task One

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter so enjoy!**

**Who would of thought I could write such evil letters… eek!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**First task is received…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**None yet… but its coming**

* * *

Chapter Three

Task One

* * *

Sam looked around him, eyes narrowed as he searched for any clue as to why he was here and who the man would choose to approach him.

It was eight fifty five in the morning and there was nothing about the busy street which looked out of place from any other morning which he had spent there. People milled about, caught up in their own lives paying little to no attention to him or to the Angel who stood so stiffly at his side. Sam had thought that there might have been something which would have stood out but if there was then he wasn't able to see it.

Sam reached up, running a hand through his hair as he swallowed, the noise sounding surprisingly loud in his ears.

Sam was prepared to do whatever it took to keep his brother safe and alive wherever he was, at least until he found him. Sam had searched the streets well into the early hours of the morning but he hadn't found anything at all, there was no sign that Dean had even walked the streets or stepped foot in the town. It was as though the older man had simply disappeared off the face of the planet, remembered only by him self and Castiel.

If the man asked him to kill someone then Sam wasn't sure what he was going to do. Killing a human was against everything he and Dean stood for regardless of whether the human was a complete and utter dick who might have deserved it and yet if he didn't then Dean would die. Sam would have to kill them whether he wanted to do it or not, there was no other option for him. He couldn't live without his older brother. He had tried so many times but the emptiness had always threatened to consume him. A world which didn't contain Dean's infectious grin or determination to live was a place Sam wasn't sure he wanted to be in.

If the man killed Dean then he had better hope he killed Sam as well before Sam reached him because he would make whoever it was suffer.

He had to find his brother and soon.

"There is only a minute left until nine Sam" Castiel said, his voice low, blue eyes skirting around them searching for anything. Sam forced him self to focus on the matter at hand.

"Do we happen to have a plan"? Sam asked, looking at the Angel. Castiel glanced at him for a moment, his face completely expressionless which somehow made him look threatening.

"I shall take care of the man who has taken Dean and harmed him" he stated matter of factly as though he was discussing the weather with Sam, his voice cold enough that it caused Sam to shiver despite the fact it was a warm morning. He couldn't remember ever seeing Castiel like this, the Angel looked so close to losing the control which had always seemed like such an integral part of him.

"As long as you save some for me and allow me the first shot at him then you can have whatever left over with my blessing. The bastard took my brother, he's not getting away with it, not while I'm still breathing anyway" Sam answered calmly.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you but are you Sam by any chance?" A young voice said from just behind them. Sam swung round, his eyes landing on a boy who looked as though he was in his early teens. There was a questioning look on his face as he tilted his head to the side. "Sam Winchester?"

"I'm Sam" he replied watching as a look of relief passed over the boy's features.

"Great news" the boy remarked, sticking his hand into his jacket pocket. Sam tensed ready to launch into action if the boy tried anything. Sam had learnt the hard way never to trust anyone regardless of how innocent they might have initially looked. "This would be for you then" he said, pulling out a crumpled envelope which had clearly seen better days from his pocket and holding it out to him with an expectant look on his face.

Sam stared at it for a moment before he reached out and took it from the boy.

He barely had time to blink before Castiel had his hand wrapped around the boy's wrist causing a cry of shocked pain to escape the boy's mouth.

"Cas" Sam began, stopping when Castiel spoke over him.

"Who gave you this letter to give to Sam?" he demanded, the boy looked back at the Angel with a half defiant, half fearful look on his face as he tried desperately to pull his wrist out of Castiel's grip. Castiel barely seemed to notice the boy's struggles.

"Look I don't know alright" the boy answered, an undercurrent of desperation to his voice. "He was a stranger; I haven't seen him around here before"

"So what happened exactly? How did you end up with this letter?" Sam asked.

"I was just walking to school and this dude who I haven't seen before approached me saying he would give my fifty bucks to deliver a letter to San Winchester. He said you would be here outside the diner waiting for it. The diner on my way to school and it was fifty bucks and fifty bucks is a lot of money so I told him yeah, I'd deliver his letter for him, no problems."

"The man who approached you, what did he look like exactly?" Sam demanded, wincing in sympathy when Castiel's hand tightened on the boy's wrist calling him to hiss in pain. Sam glanced around quickly but none of the people walking by them seemed to notice anything unusual about the scene.

"I don't know I didn't really look okay" he said loudly, his words rushing together in his desperation to answer Sam's questions. "I told you before that I've never seen him. He wore some sort of hat and he kept it low over his face and he had sunglasses on"

"Was there anything else?" Castiel asked.

"He was tall, like not stupidly tall like you are" he said glancing at Sam. "But more like your height, maybe slightly taller and he was white. Other then that all I noticed was the fifty dollars he was waving in my face. I don't know anything else, I swear it."

Sam stared into the boy's dark eyes searchingly before he nodded his head.

"I believe you" he stated simply "Let him go Cas, he's told us everything he knows" Castiel's eyes flickered over to him for a moment before he nodded, letting go of the boy's wrist. Sam watched as the boy automatically grabbed it, rubbing at the tender red skin while glaring at them.

"The pair of you are fucking crazy, you know that right" he announced.

"One more question before you go" Sam said, blocking off the boy's exit before he could use it. "Answer it and you can go, we won't bother you again" he promised. The boy looked between him and Castiel before they focused back on Sam with a sullen expression. Sam took his silence as permission to ask his question. "Did the man say anything else to you other then to bring me the letter? Anything at all"

The boy frowned thoughtfully, his fingers tightening on the straps of his bag as he slowly nodded.

"He did say to tell you that he's having fun with Dean, more fun then he had anticipated. He said… your brother excited him or something like that. The dude was kinda creepy so I didn't stay to hear anything else" he said glancing down at the ground before he looked at Sam. "Can I go now?" he demanded.

Sam nodded; stepping back and allowing the boy to step pass him. He watched him until he had disappeared around the corner before he turned to Castiel.

"What the hell is he doing to Dean?" he demanded. Castiel remained silent, a far away look in his eyes which made Sam wonder whether Castiel was even with him. Sam shook his head and opened the envelope with a shaky hand, pulling out a single piece of paper covered with the same bold bulky writing as the previous one.

**Congratulations Sam,**

**You are actually where you are meant to be. It's nice to know that the famous Winchester brothers can obey orders from others after all. All anyone ever had to do was to threaten you Sam with what you hold most dear in this world which of course is your brother. Perhaps it's because Dean isn't so much your brother as he is your Dad. I mean wasn't it Dean who raised you, teaching you and caring for you while Papa Winchester went off for days at a time, killing the baddies and ignoring you. But it didn't matter did it because you still had Dean; Dean was always there for you even when you grew older. **

**That must leave you with so many unresolved issues.**

**Well I am a man of my word if nothing else and because of your obedience you have earned Dean another hour to live.**

**I'm keeping him safe for you Sam though he has managed to break his arm and obtain some other injuries but what else could you expect from the famous Dean Winchester? He does have quite a lot of fight and passion in him doesn't he? I quite enjoy seeing it flare up. He's not talking much to me which is disappointing but perhaps that is because of the drugs in his system. I'm doing it for his own good though, I don't want my prize to hurt him self before the grand finale do I? It would be such a waste.**

**First task is a simple one for you Sam. I need you to obtain something for me and bring it to me. An ancient book of spells entitled 'r iiyfr chan chyfareddau. Perhaps your friend Bobby Singer has one. I've seen his collection. It's rather impressive isn't it? All those books, do you think he's perhaps trying to compensate for something?**

**Enough of that though, I'm digressing.**

**You have three hours exactly to finish this task.**

**Be back in front of the diner at midday or Dean will die and I promise you Sam I will make sure he dies slowly. Those hell hounds which ripped him apart, dragging his screaming soul to hell will have nothing on what I will do to him given the chance.**

**I so want to hear him scream Sam, I can't think of a sound in this world which I want to hear more.**

**Does it hurt Sam to feel so helpless? To know that Dean needs you and his Angel oh so badly and to know that you simply can't find him?**

**He calls for you both when he's drugged up. He might not say much but the stuff he does say is highly intriguing. **

**Are you curious because you really should be?**

**Enough talk though, you have a job to do and a timer which is running out.**

**Tick Tock Sam.**

Sam stared down at the letter, his stomach rolling. He forced himself to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat, licking his lips nervously as he turned to Castiel.

"Any suggestions?"

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading! **


	5. r llyfr chan chyfareddau

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes**

Author Note

**Here's the next re-polished, reedited chapter for you all! **

**Enjoy **

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can/**

Chapter Summary

**Sam calls Bobby and finds out more about the r llyfr chan chyfareddau**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, Possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**None**

* * *

Chapter Four

r llyfr chan chyfareddau

* * *

"I've never even heard of this book before, how the hell am I meant to find it Cas? We're running out of time and I've found nothing to even indicate where it is" Sam stated angrily, looking down at the letter he held in his hand. He couldn't even figure out what language the title of the book was written in, the only thing he was sure of was that he had never seen anything like it before.

"The title is written in Welsh Sam" Castiel answered from where he stood by the small wooden desk flipping through the pages of an old looking book. Castiel had transported them from the street to the motel room so they could attempt to come up with a plan and figure out where the book could be. "The Welsh language is old Sam and rarely in use these days anywhere outside its native country. They instead have adopted the English language as their own."

"So the title is written in Welsh then" Sam repeated, trying desperately to search his memories for anything he knew about the place but he was simply coming up blank. He swallowed hard trying to ignore the growing feeling of fear and unease which was making his stomach churn. He knew he should grab him self some breakfast since he hadn't eaten since the day before but the mere thought of having to attempt it was enough to turn his stomach even more.

How could he possibly eat or sleep when he had less then three hours to find a book from another country and failure to get it meant Dean being killed. He bit down hard on his inner cheek, using the pain to focus his attention back to the task at hand.

"Right so it's Welsh then" he repeated to him self "And Welsh is the language of…"

"Wales Sam" Castiel answered for him when Sam's words trailed off. There was a small amount of disapproval in the Angel's voice as though he had expected Sam to know that already. He turned to face him. "It is the country situation to the west of England. It was invaded and conquered by-"

"Seriously Cas, now isn't quite the time for a lesson in ancient history" Sam snapped, digging his phone out of his jean pocket and swiping it. He went straight to his contact section, moving through them until he stopped at Bobby's number, he glanced up at Castiel who was watching him. "I'm gonna call Bobby and let him know what's happening. He'll want to know and well you never know there's always a chance that we strike it lucky for once and he happens to have the book or at least have some sort of idea where it might be. I mean surely he had to have it because otherwise the psycho wouldn't set up a test which we can't win. If we can't find the book then-"his voice trailed off when Castiel crossed the room, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder. The palm felt cold through his shirt, calming him despite him self.

"You are hyperventilating Sam, your breathing is becoming erratic and if you continue then you shall soon be unconscious and therefore useless to your brother. You must try and contain your emotions and focus on the task at hand for Dean's sake." The Angel stated calmly. Sam stared at him for a moment, searching his expressionless face before he slowly nodded his agreement, breathing a sigh of relief when Castiel instantly let go of him and headed back to the book, picking it up again and beginning to flick through it. Sam didn't know how Dean could handle Castiel being near him or touching him as much as the Angel did. It was like having your limb plunged into a bucket of ice cold water.

Sam lifted the phone to his ear and pressed the call button tapping his finger against the back of his mobile as he waited for the older hunter to pick up, he didn't have long to wait until Bobby answered.

"Sam" he stated gruffly "It's about time one of you idjits called me. Have you finished up your case yet because if you have then I've got a brand new one for you and Dean which would be right up your street and it ain't too far from where you're holed up now." Sam blinked.

"Our case?" He repeated in confusion; picturing Bobby rolling his eyes in his head.

"Yeah sunshine, your cases, killer group of vampires determined to turn the whole damn town into their lunch and a plaything… does it sound familiar to you at all?"

"No Bobby… we haven't dealt with the vampire problem yet" Sam answered, swallowing hard when he realised that he had forgotten all about them. He should probably ask Castiel to go and deal with them before they could hurt someone else but it was difficult to think of anything other then Dean right now. Castiel didn't obey Sam normally if he asked him to do something for him, the Angel would give him a look as though he was and insect before ignoring him. It was only when Dean asked him to something that the Angel would actually react, dropping whatever he was doing to go and do what Dean wanted him to do. Sometimes it annoyed Sam, other times it amused him to see an Angel of the Lord run after his brother like some sort of nursemaid. This time however it simply made him feel sick.

He glanced at Castiel from the corner of his eyes wondering how the Angel was actually doing, knowing that Dean was being hurt and needed him and that he wasn't there to help him. Did he feel sick like Sam did? Did he feel helpless and angry? Nothing seemed to show on his face and Sam wasn't adept at reading the other man, not like Dean was anyway. His brother could take one look at Castiel and known exactly what the other was thinking and feeling.

"And why the hell not?" Bobby demanded, sounding annoyed. "You want them to drain or turn someone else into one of them? It ain't like they are gonna hold off until the pair of you are ready to get off your asses and hunt them down boy."

"Bobby" Sam said, barely able to get the words out of his throat without choking on them. "Dean is gone."

"Gone?" Bobby repeated his voice a mixture of disbelief and confusion. "What do you mean Dean's gone? Like he's gone to a bar or something to let off some steam because if that's the case Sam then get your ass down to that bar and drag him out kicking and screaming if you have to and get the hell back to work. Dean knows better then to go to a bar when there's a fresh hunt still on, gotta admit that it don't sound much like your brother but then again he has been under some pressure recently and there's always a first for everything."

"He's not at some bar getting pissed Bobby. He's gone. Dean's been fucking kidnapped by some nut job psychopath that has me and Castiel running around like a pair of headless chickens on some weird ass hunt thing he's come up with. If we don't do it and find out what the hell he wants then he's going to kill Dean."

"When the hell did all of this happen Sam?" Bobby demanded after a long pause.

"Last night. It was about seven forty five, eight o clock when I realised that he hadn't come back from getting us some food" Sam answered pushing down on the guilt which threatened to overwhelm him. He had to focus on Dean and getting him back, not on his own self guilt. That could wait until Dean was safely back with them.

"Balls" Bobby swore "And you didn't think to call me straight away Sam? I could have been down there by now helping you search for your brother. Tell me everything, leave nothing out or I swear I'll have your hide my self."

"There's not much to say Bobby. Dean went out yesterday afternoon about two to go and get us some lunch while I carried on researching, trying to figure out where exactly the vampires are hiding out. I realised about eight that he hadn't come yet and hadn't been in contact with me so I went looking for him in town. I found the impala and a note attached to it stating that whoever wrote me the note had Dean and they would kill him nice and slowly unless I did what he said. He told me to be outside the diner at nine today so I went and was handed another note by some kid telling me that I needed to find a book called 'r llyfr chan chyfareddau and that I had to be back at the diner by noon with it in hand or Dean was a goner."

"The name of that book sounds familiar" Bobby said thoughtfully "I've heard it somewhere before and fairly recently at that" Sam swallowed, a flicker of hope growing in him at Bobby's words.

"Cas says that it was written in Welsh and was likely to be ancient because the language isn't greatly used these days."

"Tell Bobby that the translation for r llyfr chan chyfareddau is the book of spells" Castiel suggested making Sam jump, he hadn't even been aware that the Angel had moved from across the room to stand behind him.

"Cas says that it means the book of spells" Sam said with a nod at Castiel as he turned away from him. He could hear Bobby moving about on the other end of the phone clearly looking for something in his stacks of papers and books. Sam was content to listen to the familiar noise, finding it soothing. He knew he could count on Bobby to know something about this the same way they had always been able to count of Bobby to have their backs when things went wrong.

"I got it" Bobby stated suddenly "You're in luck Sam; there was an article about it in the paper this morning. The 'r llyfr chan chyfareddau is part of a collection of books which have just been shipped over from England today and is due to be unveiled as part of a brand new exhibition. It's ancient like Cas said, nearly nine hundred years old and one of the oldest books in existence. 'r llyfr chan chyfareddau means the book of spells as you said which can only meant that there's some bad shit in that book Sam, things which probably shouldn't get out.

Sam sighed, shrugging his shoulders even though he knew that Bobby couldn't see him.

"I know" he said quietly "But what can I do? If I don't get it then Dean will die Bobby and I can't let that happen no matter what the consequences might be. Tell me where the book is going to be shown at."

"New York City Sam though the paper doesn't state what museum they actually are showing it at" Sam nodded.

"Thanks Bobby, I appreciate the help" he said.

"I'm on my way to you Sam, we'll get Dean back alive Sam" he promised before he hung up the phone.

"Sure" he said to the dial tone, turning back to the room unsurprised to find it empty. He threw the phone onto the bed and ran his hand over his face.

He had a seriously bad feeling over this and yet what else could he do?

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	6. Interlude Two - Fury

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes**

Author Note

**Interlude number three is coming next and is Dean's POV which I know a lot have you have wanted to see this however is a quick glance into the mind of our Angel and how he is feeling so enjoy!**

**I know it short but the interlude chapters will always be short!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Hello Castiel…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester**

* * *

Interlude Two

Fury

* * *

Castiel stared down at the book in his hand with a look of distaste on his face.

The book was evil; he could feel it beneath his vessel's fingertips, a sense of power coming from each and every page as thought the book was alive. It should have been destroyed centuries ago rather then kept and treasured. Human were like that though, they kept things which should never have be kept and destroying other things which should have been held sacred. Things which needed to be known and learnt had been lost in the haze of time already past never to be rediscovered again by his father's favourite race. It was a tragedy and one which Castiel had witnessed again and again.

It was surprisingly heavy, the page thick and crinkled with age and no doubt made of calf skin. The writing was written in ancient English, hand written in thick, bold calligraphy script, the same as the monks were taught to write and yet Castiel could not believe that holy men, dedicated to his father's way and light would have a hand in creating this abomination. Not unless they had been forced to somehow.

Every fibre in him told him to take the book to the vaults of heaven and lock it away there for eternity for the sake of humanity and yet if he did that then Dean would die and that was something that Castiel could never allow to happen, not if it was in his powers to prevent it anyway.

He knew that Dean was his weakness but he was helpless against it, there was no one in this world more important to him then the elder Winchester. If Castiel had to pick between saving Dean's life or protecting humanity from itself then he already knew what decision he would make. He would mourn the world and all the death which would occur but losing Dean would destroy him.

If Dean died then he would forever be lost to Castiel. He had already been told by higher ranked Angels that if Dean died again he would not be returned to the plain of the living. This time if he died then he would remain dead to restore the natural balance which he had already torn apart. Dean would be trapped in the human quarters of heaven, unable to leave and out of Castiel's reach forever.

Castiel would never again feel those rough hands against his skin or kiss the lips which were sheer temptation for him. He would never again be able to see Dean's green eyes sparkling at him with hidden affection and laughter or feel the muscled, toned body beneath that of his vessel.

No.

Castiel had lost much in his long existence, his brothers, his sisters, his faith, even his grace for a short time but he would not lose Dean, especially not in the fashion that the man who had him was planning. Not when Castiel still had so much to share with Dean and to show him. He wanted to take the younger man all over the world and show him the places he had discovered while he watched over the world from heaven. Places he knew that Dean would love and cherish.

He would find Dean and he would destroy the human who dared to touch his mate making sure he took his time with him. Then he would turn his attention to the book he held in his hand and destroy it, ending this game and this evil once and for all. He cursed him self once again for marking Dean's ribs hiding him from his view. This could have all been over already if he hadn't. He could have found Dean instantly, healing him and keeping him safe. The knowledge that he might end up being too late was unbearable.

Castiel breathed out deeply, his hand tightening on the cover as his eyes narrowed.

He would make the human who took Dean wish he had never been born.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	7. Interlude Three - Fighter

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next interlude this time from Dean's point of view. Next chapter will swing back to Sam.**

**Enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**It's Dean's turn…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**Hints of Castiel/Dean**

* * *

Interlude Three

Fighter

* * *

Dean wished that the fucking room would stop spinning around him and give him some peace to actually gather his lethargic thoughts together and think of a way to get out of the current situation he found him self caught in.

He wasn't sure how long he had been trapped in that small cold room for. He was pretty sure that it hadn't been longer then a day but he had clearly been unconscious for some of it, what if he had been unconscious for a while and more time had passed then he had thought. Perhaps he had been out for mere minutes and it was in fact only a few hours since it happened. It was hard to tell.

All he knew for definite was that he was surrounded by thick, heavy darkness which was occasionally broken by a bright light which blinded him each time he saw it. Whoever it was provided him with food and drink. Dean knew that it was probably drugged with something which was making him sluggish and yet he was so hungry and thirsty that he demolished it anyway, coming to the conclusion in his mind that he would need his strength for what was happening. Drugged or not Dean knew he could kick some ass if he was given the chance.

He had tried to initiate contact with the person the first time food had been delivered to his prison. Demanding answers from him but all that he heard in return to his queries was heavy pants, the sound of it making his skin crawl so he had simply stopped trying to communicate with the person, keeping his silence. There was no way in hell that he was going to tell whoever it was anything, no matter what they did to him.

Dean knew that Sam and Castiel would be looking for him, they would never leave him here to rot and yet Dean had no idea whether they were even out there. If whoever did this had managed to get Dean then there was a good chance that they got Sam as well. Was Sam in a room like this as well? Blinded and drugged and holding onto the hope that Dean was out there looking for him?

And if Sam hadn't been captured then was he safe? Was Castiel looking after him and keeping him protected from harm or was his Angel searching the streets looking for Dean? He knew that Castiel wouldn't stop until he found him but unless they hit a lucky break then how would they know? Hell even Dean didn't know where he was and he was hidden from Castiel because of the marks on his ribs.

By the time Castiel and Sam found him he would probably be dead, he just hoped that they found him quickly. The last thing he wanted was to traumatise Sam further by him discovering his decomposing body.

The thought made him sick.

It was the one thing that Dean was certain of. Whoever had taken him was never going to allow him to leave alive no matter what they might promise or say.

That was never the way these situations went in his experience. The kidnapper would always tell the family that if they did exactly what they said then the loved one would be released back to them unharmed. They would make demands, making the person do whatever they wanted, whether it was to give them money or perhaps to get something for them and then once they knew the family had it, they simply killed the victim. It made sense to Dean; they had what they wanted so why keep alive the one person who might be able to identify them? Why risk being caught? No they would kill him to protect themselves; it was as simple as that.

Dean stared blankly in front of him, his eyes focused on the area where the light always came from, his legs stretched out in front of him as he cradled his broken arm to him, thankful that the sharp pain and eased into a bearable level of discomfort. As long as he took care not to move it then he could manage his injury. He was more concerned about his head injury, the bleeding had finally stopped but with a blow like that there was no way that Dean didn't have a massive concussion and that would affect him big time when it came to getting out of there. If Sam and Castiel somehow got him out then Dean was more likely to be a hindrance then a help to them.

He wondered whether he would still be able to see Castiel once he was died. He was pretty sure he would end up upstairs in heaven, at least he hoped so, as much as he didn't like heaven he hated hell a whole lot more. Castiel hadn't been able to come to him in heaven the last time he had died and ended up in the human quarters. What if he couldn't this time? Dean couldn't imagine not being able to see Castiel again.

Dean's eyes narrowed as he forced him self back to his feet, his good hand resting against the cold metal to steady him self. There was no way in hell that Dean was going out of this world without one hell of a fight, drugged or not he was going to get out of there and he was going to get back to Sam and Castiel.

There had to be a way out of here and Dean was going to find it.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading **


	8. The things we do

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**So sorry for the delay in the story! I had started this chapter so many times but which time it just felt wrong but I think I finally have it right and ready to be viewed.**

**There shouldn't be such a long gap between this chapter and the next one you'll be pleased to know. I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do with the next chapter which is often a good start when it comes to writing it!**

**Anyway please enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Castiel brings Sam the book…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**None really… Sam's got way too much angst to deal with at the moment to think about getting it on with anyone…**

* * *

Chapter Five

The things we do…

* * *

Sam breathed out noisily, throwing the book he had been attempting to read onto the cluttered surface of the small side table before he glanced down at his watch with a look of frustration on his face.

It had been over a hour since Sam had gotten off the phone to Bobby, over a hour since Castiel had disappeared from the motel room to collect the spell book from where it was being shown in New York. Sam had no idea how the Angel planned to do it, whether he would simply take it or whether he would replace it with something which would fool everyone who saw it into thinking it was the real deal. He didn't even know whether Castiel had thought that far ahead or whether he had even gone straight to New York. There was always the chance that Castiel had gone somewhere else first.

It was the only explanation Sam could think of to explain why Castiel hadn't returned to the room, normally whenever he did his teleporting trick he would be back within minutes of disappearing from their sight, looking unruffled and calm as though he had never gone anywhere.

There was only one other explanation Sam could think of and it was the one he didn't want to even think about. Castiel would never leave New York without that book, not when he knew the price of failing was Dean's life. Castiel wouldn't have lingered or taken his time to get there which could only mean that he had run into some trouble while obtaining it for them. Trouble which he would have to deal with alone. Sam hoped that Castiel was alright, not only because he respected the Angel and genuinely liked him but also because he knew that without the Castiel's help, Dean would be lost to them all.

Sam dragged both his hands through his hair, wincing when his fingers caught on the knots before he surged to his feet, pacing the floor and trying to ignore the feeling of dread which was taking root in his stomach, slowly spreading through him until he thought he might choke on it. Sam felt as though he had spent the majority of his time walking, either pacing the room of searching through the town for any sign of where Dean might be being kept hidden.

He hated feeling so useless and helpless and yet what choice did he have? He had tried everything he could think of to find his brother and it wasn't as if he would have been able to go to New York him self to get the book. He should have realised what Castiel would do and grabbed onto him, insisting the Angel took his with him just so Sam could feel as though he was doing something to help Dean. He needed to be doing something, anything to stop the thoughts and images plaguing his mind. He had already seen Dean die once, he didn't think he could survive it if it happened again, especially if the lunatic held true to his threat and sent Sam Dean's corpse.

Sam stopped pacing, a frown coming to his face. Just how long had the man been following them for him to know that Dean was killed by hell hounds. No human should have been able to know that, especially as neither brother ever spoke about it, the trauma the experience had brought to them wasn't worth reliving for any reason. Sam had been assuming that it had been a human who took Dean from them but what if it wasn't. God knew there were plenty of demons and other supernatural creatures who would give up a limb to get their hands on one of the Winchester brothers.

What if this was one?

Sam swallowed, a slight flicker of hope coming to him. Supernatural creatures and demons were something which he could deal with, he could kill them.

He breathed out noisily and glanced at the clock, biting down hard on his bottom lip when he realised that it was already eleven thirty. They only had thirty minutes until they had to be back in front of the diner with the spell book. The spell book which he currently didn't possess.

Sam turned, jumping when he realised that Castiel was standing directly behind him.

"Jesus Cas are you trying to give me a heart attack" he snapped, placing a hand over his heart as it continued to race.

"Your heart is in perfect working condition Sam" Castiel remarked calmly. Sam shook his head, dropping his eyes to the bundle which Castiel held under his arm. The book had been wrapped up in a blanket, hiding it from view.

"Is that the book?" Sam demanded eagerly, taking a step towards him. Castiel nodded his head.

"It is the book" Castiel confirmed. Sam stopped, feeling giddy with relief for a moment. They actually had it.

"Thank God" he swore, saying a silent prayer of thanks to a God he didn't even believe in anymore. Castiel frowned at his choice of word but remained silently, his blue eyes fixed on Sam as though he was waiting to see how Sam would react. "Can I see it?" he asked, surprised when Castiel shook his head, his grip tightening around his package.

"I do not think it would be advisable for you to look or touch this book Sam" Castiel answered after a pause, his gaze meeting Sam's with a look that chilled Sam to his core. That was the look Dean had jokingly referred to as Castiel smiting face. An expression which meant that the Angel meant business and expected to be obeyed.

"Why can't I see it exactly?" Sam demanded curiously. "It's just a spell book right? I've seen loads of them in the past."

Castiel placed the book on the table, frowning down at it as he lightly reached out and touched it, quickly taking his hand away as thought the book had burnt him through the material of the blanket. Sam wondered vaguely where Castiel had found the blanket in the first place.

"This book is tainted with evil Sam, it is perhaps the most powerful human artefact I have seen in a extremely long time. It's the sort of book which thrives off of human emotions and yours at the moment are strong and powerful due to your fear for your brother's life and safety. This particular spell book would feed off your negative emotions and therefore grown stronger like a parasite sucking blood from a victim. It should be taken to the vaults in heaven and kept there but-" Castiel's voice trailed off as a look of sheer frustration came to his face.

"But we need the book here on Earth so we can save Dean from being murdered" Sam finished for him with a heavy sigh. The whole situation was impossible to deal with and yet they had no other choice but to deliver the book. If they didn't then Dean would die. For a moment Sam wondered whether Dean would happily sacrifice his life if it meant keeping the book safely out of harms away, away from people who would use it to kill people. He probably would, Dean would have seen that as a good way to die, saving the life of other people but Sam couldn't do it. He couldn't live through Dean's death again, once had been hard enough. He spoke again. "So this guy wants this crazy powerful, emotion sucking spell book to-"

"Most likely to take over the world or at least destroy most of it" Castiel answered seriously. Sam blinked for a moment, his mouth falling open when he realised just how serious Castiel was.

"Bit dramatic don't you think Cas? You know with the whole emotion eating book and everything. I've heard of a hell of a lot in my time but never anything even remotely describing a book which can do what you say it can do" Sam finished off weakly as he met Castiel's gaze. A cold sweat covered him when Castiel began speaking.

"There is much in this world Sam which has been forgotten in the passage of time. Skills which were known and practiced in the past are now gone from existence, the knowledge lost for all time. The ability to make a book such as this, was one of them."

"What do you mean?" Sam croaked out.

"Demons were a great deal different back in the time when this book was created as were the Hunters who killed them. They were more powerful then you could imagine, you know this from when you fought Lilith, you saw first hand a small portion of what she was able to accomplish. The souls back then were a great deal more innocent, there was less exposure to corruption making their souls all the more powerful for anyone who wished to obtained them. To have such a soul in their keeping was a gift and many demons were willing to do whatever it took to gain them, including to teach humans things which they should never have been taught. This" he said, indicating the book with a wave of his hand. "Is the work of one particular demon, a second only to Lilith. I recognise his taint."

"What demon?" Sam demanded, sinking down onto the bed, his legs suddenly weak.

"His name no longer matters" Castiel answered instantly and for a moment Sam was positive that Castiel sounded almost afraid. "The demon in question was killed by Michael centuries ago in a great battle. This is the only part of him which remains now."

"So what you're telling me is that we're about to hand over this demon tainted book to some random psychopath. Jesus Cas, the stuff he could do with that book and the stuff which is in it. I-"

"What would you have us do Sam?" Castiel said, his voice quiet and full of intensity. "Abandon Dean to his fate?" Sam shook his head, running his hand down his face, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit him. He wished Dean was here, Dean would know what to do.

"There's nothing else we can do, not when he has Dean" Sam answered equally as quietly. Castiel searched his eyes for a moment before he nodded once.

"It is time for us to go Sam" he said picking up the book again. He looked at Sam who nodded, closing his eyes when he felt Castiel's fingers touch his forehead.

They had to do this for Dean, not matter how wrong it felt.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading **


	9. Interlude Four - It will soon be time

Tick Tock

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**So here's another interlude this time from our baddie just so you have an idea on what exactly is going on in his evil little head…**

Overall Summary

**Dean is gone and time is running out because someone is playing a game with Sam and Castiel, someone wants them to lose but the price of losing is Dean's life. They have to find the clues and win. The clock is ticking… can you hear it? Because Dean certainly can…**

Chapter Summary

**Not long to go…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel/Dean Winchester, possibly Sam Winchester/OFC**

Chapter Romance

**Nope!**

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Interlude Four

It will soon be time

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He had known that they would come.

A small smile came to his face when he saw Sam Winchester and the Angel Castiel walk out from one of the side alleyway on the street opposite him. They hesitated for a moment, looking around carefully, scanning the faces surrounding them. Sam looked tense he noticed, the strain of the game clearly already getting to him like he had hoped it would. Dean would have lasted much longer before the pressure got to him but fate had intervened and it was Dean he had captured while little Sam Winchester ran around for him.

It was clear they were looking for him, hoping that he would make a mistake of some kind. They must have thought he was stupid or something, did they truly think that he would have gone through all of this effort and planning just to would reveal him self and his plan to them this early on in the game? It would be a long time before he showed him self to them, why would he do it sooner when he was having so much fun with them all. Messing around with their heads and making them slowly turn against each other as worry ate at them.

His eyes dropped down to Castiel's hand, his smile widening when he noticed the bundle the Angel was holding carefully in his grip. They had brought him the first part of the puzzle. They had the spell book.

He wondered briefly how they had managed to obtain it from New York. He had known that the book had been under twenty four hour surveillance by a team of specially trained security guards. It wouldn't have been Sam to get it, Sam would have been caught meaning it had to be Castiel who went and got it. Clearly capturing Dean had been a stroke of genius on his part. Thank god he had decided to change his target at the last minute.

He felt a slight flicker of disappointment when he realised that he would have to keep his word and not kill Dean yet.

He wanted to hurt the other man so badly, he wanted to hear his screams fill the air and bathe his skin in Dean's Winchester's warm blood but he couldn't, not yet anyhow. Not until Dean's precious little brother and Angel failed in their task, when that happened then he could live out all his fantasies, taking his time over each and every one of them. He knew they would fail, it was only a matter of time before their innate goodness flared up, overcoming their desire to free Dean. They would convince themselves that Dean would rather die then let this happen.

When that happened he would kill them all, leaving Sam until last so he could see what his disobedience had brought about.

He wondered briefly how far they would go to keep Dean alive

They were both clearly willing to hand over a book to a complete stranger, a book which they both must have known contained high levels of dark magic, the kind of dark magic which easily could have destroyed thousands of lives from one simple spell.

Still that was of little concern to him.

All he needed now was the ingredients he would have Sam Winchester and Castiel gather for him and then no one would be safe.

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Author Note

**Thanks for reading**


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